Sealing method



Nov. 13, 1945. g L, 5 2,388,770

SEALING METHOD Filed Oct 25, 1944 Eanee 4 .SrE N ATTORN 5Y5.

Patented Nov. 13, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEALING METHOD ElmerL. Stein, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor of onethird to Roman 'Kaczmarek andone-third to Herbert F. Johnson, both of Milwaukee, Wis.

. Application October 25, 1944, Serial No. 560,332

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sealing methods.

The invention pertains particularly to the closing of mailing pieces, orsmall cartons, or the like, by means of a small piece of gummed tapeapplied across the joint to be closed and sealed. The tape commonly usedfor this purpose is commercially known as Scotch tape and usuallycomprises a ribbon of cellulose acetate with a permanently tackysurface. However, the invention may also be practiced with gummed tapehaving a normally dry surface temporaril rendered tacky by theapplication of water or other solvent.

It is the primary object of the invention greatly to simplify and reducethe cost of sealing, particularly when the sealin operation is practicedon a large scale. I seek to accomplish this objective by eliminating thehandling of small pieces of tape and by using the work itself as a meansof drawing the tape from its supply roll.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon analysisof the following disclosure of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views in section sequentiallyillustrating the respective positions of the work, the tape, and apressure applying foot in successive steps of my improved process.

Fig. '7 is a view in perspective showing a completed work piece.

By Way of exemplifying the work, I have shown a mailing piece comprisinga folder I having component parts 8 and 9 united on a fold line If! andjoined at their otherwise free margins by a piece of tape ll having aportion I2 crossing such margins and other portions adherent to therespective faces of the component parts 8 and 9 of the folder. No claimis made to the product as above described which is entirelyconventional.

In the past it has generally been the practice of operators sealing suchmailing pieces to withdraw by hand lengths of tape from a supply roll,

such as that shown at l5, tearing off a piece of such tape on the edgeN5 of a guide I! and, thereupon, folding the tape by hand over the edgeof the mailing piece as illustrated.

As distinguished from this manual operation and from all mechanical tapeapplying operations, my improved method involves the use of the workitself, and relative movement between the work and the supply roll, tounroll the web from the supply roll and effect its application about thefree margins of the leaves 8 and 9 which require sealing.

The guide 11 has a slot at I8 through which extends the web 19 of tape.There is at 20 s flange or plate portion of guide I! which I employ as apressure foot, such plate providing at 46 the tear-off margin, usuallyserrated.

From the standpoint of my improved method, it is immaterial whether thework piece remains stationary and the tape roll and pressure foot aremoved with respect to it, or whether the tape roll and pressure foot arestationary and the work piece is moved. It will, therefore, beunderstood that any reference to specific movements or directions ofmovement in the following description are merely by way ofexemplification to bring out the relative movements involved.

With the torn end 21 of the tape web 19 caught on the tear-off ed e 16,the pressure foot 20 is moved toward the work to engage the gummedsurface 22 of the tape with the part 9 of the work, as shown in Figure2. With the tape thus adhered to the work, there is relative movement ofthe work away from the tape supply roll 15 and pressure foot 20 to adistance, as shown in Fig. 3, such that the point at which the tape isto be severed will be registered over the tearing edge I6.

Now there is relative movement between the pressure 'foot 20 and thework in a direction which is downward, as viewed in Fig. 4, and thenceinwardly as viewed in Fig. 5, with the result that the portion of thetape which is to be severed is folded about the tear-off edge l6 whilethe portion l2 or the tape is folded across the previously free marginsof the component parts 8 and 9 of the Work.

Continued inward movement of the pressure foot 20 and the work piecetoward positions of overlapping, as viewed in Fig. 5, will result insevering the tape across the tear-off edge l6, and thence relativemovement of the work toward the under surface of pressure foot 20 willseal the severed strip ll of tape against the part 8 of the work, thuscompleting the operation.

In the positions in which the parts are illustrated, the undersurface ofthe work is first pressed toward the upper surface of the pressure foot20 upon the intervening gummed tape. The relative movement of the workis then outwardly, downwardly, inwardly and upwardly, thus ultimatelypressing its top surface against the under surface of the pressure footupon the intervening tape. The relative movement between the anchor thegummed surfaces during the portionof the cycle in which gummed tape iswithdrawn from its source, as represented by the supply roll l5.

I claim:

1. A method of sealing edge portions of a work piece having first andsecond faces by delivering a web of tape having a tacky surface across apressure foot having first and second faces and by applying a length ofsuch tape about the work piece margin and adhering it to opposite facesof the work piece, said method consisting in pressing a first face ofthe work piece toward a first face of the pressure foot on which thetacky surface of a web of tape is exposed, whereby to adhere the end ofsaid web to said first work piece face, effecting relative movementbetween the work piece and the pressure foot in a direction to draw anadditional length of web over the first face of the foot and thence in adirection to fold said web over an edge of the foot and an edge of thework piece, and thence in a direction to sever said web on the edge ofthe work piece and to press the severed end of the web section thus lsevered between a second face of the work piece and a second face of thefoot.

2. A method of relative manipulation of a work piece respecting apressure foot across which gummed tape is delivered, such methodinvolving engaging one face of the work piece with an upwardly exposedgummed surface of the tape supported on one face of the pressure footand thereupon relatively moving the work piece and pressure foot in asubstantially closed figure involving separating of the work piece andpressure foot in a direction to draw out an additional length of tape,subsequently folding the additional length of tape across the pressurefoot and the work piece, and subsequently relatively moving the pressurefoot and work piece in directions to sever the withdrawn length of tapeacross the pressure foot and to press the severed end of the withdrawnlength between mutually opposite faces of the pressure foot and workpiece to complete the sealing of the work piece.

3. A method of sealing a mailing piece by relative manipulation of suchmailing piece and a pressure foot across which adhesive tape is fed,which method consists in relative movement of the mailing piece andpressure foot toward each other, thence laterally in the direction oftape feed, thence continuing in the original direction past each other,thence laterally toward the original line of relative movement, andthence toward each other in a direction opposite to the originaldirection of movement, the original relative sive face and anon-adhesive face is fed; Which.

method comprises exposing said adhesive face of an end of the tape onsuch foot, relatively pressing the work piece toward such adhesive faceand foot to adhere the tape end to the work piece; relativelywithdrawing the work piece beyond the end of the foot in a direction tofeed additional tape thereover until a length of tape is free betweenthe foot and work piece; relatively manipulating the work piece and footin a direction to engage about the end of the foot said free length oftape; and continuing relative manipulation of the work piece and foot ina direction to engage the adhesive face of such length of tape with thework piece about a margin thereof and to tension and sever such lengthacross the end of the foot.

ELMER L. STEIN.

